COMING JULY, 2026

Casa Valentina is a drama set in the early 1960s that explores identity, secrecy, gender expression, and the struggle for acceptance during a time when gender nonconformity was heavily stigmatized in the United States. The play blends humor, tension, and emotional vulnerability as it follows a group of people who gather at a private resort where they can safely express a hidden part of themselves.

The play takes place in 1962 at Casa Valentina, a secluded Catskills lodge in upstate New York.  The resort functions as a discreet refuge for heterosexual men who secretly dress and live as women during their visits. The location is inspired by the real-life Chevalier d’Eon Resort, which operated in the mid-20th century.

Opening Friday, July 10, 2026, at The Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center

Other dates include Saturday, July 11th, and  17-19.

 THE CAST (in order of appearance)

George / Valentina — Shayne Brakefield
Rita — Melissa Rae Wilkeson
Jonathon / Miranda — Jonathan Hall
Albert / Bessie — Brian Estes-Uecker
Isadore / Charlotte — Timothy Hull
Michael / Gloria — Brad Ulery
Theodore / Terry — Jeff Sherr
The Judge / Amy — Michael Friedman
Eleanor — Marianne Phelps

Tickets will be available soon.